Referrals
Below is a list of referrals that SCAS regularly uses depending upon the situation. 'Mediation/Arbitration' 'Harvard Mediation Program (Default Referral)' *(617) 495-1854 'Cambridge Consumers' Council' *Serves Cambridge residents or businesses *Primarily consumer affairs *(617) 349-6150 'Community Dispute Settlement Center' *Serves Charlestown, Waltham, Woburn & Cambridge. *Mediation services available in the evenings. *Sliding scale fee *(617) 876-5376 'Home Improvement Contractor Arbitration' *Run by Office of Consumer Affairs *Request must be received no more than 24 months after contract was signed *Sliding scale fee *(617) 727-7755 'State-Run Lemon Law Arbitration' *Run by Office of Consumer Affairs *Request must be made within 18 months of purchase *(617) 727-7780 'American Arbitration Association' *(617) 451-6600 'Lawyer Referral Services' 'Boston Bar Layer Referral Service' *(617) 742-0265 'Mass Bar Lawyer Referral Service' *(617) 654-0400 *There is no cost to utilize LRS, but referrals are made to fee-charging attorneys, who may charge you no more than $25 for the initial half-hour consultation. 'Worcester Lawyer Referral Service' *(508) 752-1131 *Lawyer referral service for Worcester County - (800) 622-9700 'LARC (Legal Advocacy and Resource Center)(at GBLS)' *Primary SCAS referral organization *Deals with Housing, Family Law, Public Benefits, Employment Issues and Consumer Issues *Does not deal with Criminal Law, Immigration Law, or out of state cases. *(617) 603-1700 'GBLS (Greater Boston Legal Service)' *Home to dozens of legal advocacy groups. *Primary SCAS referral - call switchboard, briefly explain situation, operator will transfer you to appropriate group. *(617) 371-1234 (switchboard) 'Other Small Claims Referrals' 'MA Attorney General's Office Consumer Advocacy & Response Division (CARD)' *(617) 727-8400 or *(888) 283-3737 This division of the Attorney General’s Office employs trained consumer specialists who can answer your questions assist you in resolving your dispute with a business. If you would like CARD to assist you in resolving a dispute you are having with a business, you should fill out the Consumer Complaint Form. To see if the business has a history of consumer complaints, you can search CARD's Database. 'Better Business Bureau' *(508) 652-4800 or *(800) 4-BBB-811 'Executive Office for Consumer Affairs & Business Regulations' *(617) 973-8700 'Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (at Harvard Law School)' *Provide free civil legal services to low-income residents of Suffolk and Middlesex counties. *Primarily civil law *(617) 495-4408 'Cambridge/Somerville Legal Services (at GBLS)' *Serves low-income citizens, especially immigrants *Conflict resolution and legal aid *(617) 494-1800 or *(617) 603-2700 'Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation Website' *Information about all types of MA laws with great tips on how to protect your legal rights. NOLO *Primary SCAS referral for clients with internet access. *Website with info on everything citizens need to know to handle their own legal problems (small claims and other) 'General Legal Help' 'Legal Services Center (at Harvard Law School)' *Deals with housing. Usually refer clients to LARC first. *(617) 522-3003 'Western Mass Legal Service' *Providing legal services to areas of Western Mass. *Housing family, disability, elderly government benefits *(413) 781-7814 'Consumer Council of Worcester' *Deals with consumer issues and mediation for Worcester area. *(508) 754-1176 'Merrimack Valley Legal Services' *Serves Merrimack Valley *Deals with family law, housing, income maintenance and elder law. *Lowell: (978) 458-1465 *Andover/Lawrence: (978) 687-1177 'Neighborhood Legal Services' *Serves low-income residents of Essex County *Housing, family law, employment law, domestic violence, elder law *Website has list of lawyers for each MA county. *(781) 599-7730 'Community Legal Services & Counseling Center' *Legal Assistance, primarily for domestic violence issues, housing, disability benefits and immigration. *(617) 661-1010 'Credit/Debt' 'Division of Banks' *Call if problems with collection agencies. *(617) 956-1500 ext. 501 *(800) 495-2265 ext. 501(in state only, toll-free) 'Equifax' *One of three major credit reporting companies. *2 others below -must call all 3 for credit reports *(800) 685-1111 'Experian' *2nd major credit reporting agency *(888) 397-3742 'Trans Union' *3rd major credit reporting agency *(800) 916-8800 'Consumer Credit Counseling' *Credit Counselors for debt, credit & housing *(617) 426-6644 'Federal Trade Commission' *Regulates all credit rating agencies *Will address consumer complaints *1-877-382-4357 'US Bankruptcy Court' *Boston: (617) 565-8950 *Worcester: (508) 770-8900 'Collections' 'Collections Information Online' 'Housing/Landlord-Tenant' 'Board of Health' *Is in each town *Inspects tenants' presmises for habitability violations. *Website has phone numbers for each town's department and board 'Fair Housing Hub' *Housing discrimination *(617) 994-8300 or *(800) 827-5005 'Tenant Advocacy Project (at Harvard Law School)' *(617) 495-4394 'Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership' *(617) 859-0400 'Inspectional Services Department (ISD)' *Do homeinspections for suspected violations of the State Sanitary Code, including no heat. Can write up violations and summon landlord to court. *(617) 635-5322 'Finding a Business' 'MA Division of Corporations' *For the legal name of a corporation *(617) 727-9640 'Town Clerk's Office' *To see if there is a certificate for business. 'Licensing Agency' *If the business requires a license to operate, their address etc. can be found through the agency. 'Moving and Storage' 'Transportation Division of the Department of Telecom & Energy' *In state moving rates and overcharging *(617) 305-3559 'Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration' *Moving company problems across state lines *(617) 494-2770 'Utilities' 'Consumer Division of MA Telecommunication & Energy' *(617) 305-3531 'Miscellaneous Referrals' 'ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)' *Handles civil liberties cases *Pro-bono representation for nationally important cases *(617) 482-3170 'Committee for Public Council Services' *(617) 482-6212 'Lawyershop' *Links to legal organizations and lawyers all over the US *Links provide contact info and general legal info 'Homeowners Rehab, Inc.' *Provides low-income loans to Cambridge residents *(617) 868-4858 'Family Help Desk' *PBH Program at Boston Medical Center *Helps with food stamps, public assistance, childcare, housing *(617) 414-4349 'The Cambridge Multi-Service Center for the Homeless' *Offers a broad range of services to persons who have lost or are at risk of losing their housing *(617) 349-6340